Grafton Hazard Mitigation Plan [DRAFT Last Revised – Oct.17, 2016]
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Grafton Hazard Mitigation Plan [DRAFT Last Revised – Oct.17, 2016] Blackstone River, South Grafton, Massachusetts (Photo: Andrew Loew) Certified by the Board of Selectmen ______ __, 2016 Prepared by the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission 2 Washington Square, Union Station Worcester, MA 01604 www.cmrpc.org & Local Hazard Mitigation Team Town of Grafton, Massachusetts Acknowledgements The Grafton Board of Selectmen extends its thanks to participants in the Local Hazard Mitigation Team: Nick Child, GEMA Timothy McInerney, Town Administrator Jay Cummings, School Department Dan Gale, School Department Brian Szczurko, DPW Joe Maynard, DPW Stephen Charest, Fire Joseph Laydon, Planning Normand Crepeau, Police Barbara Connelly, Council on Aging Paul Cournoyer, Sewer Michael Scully, GEMA Clare Garabedian, GEMA/CERT Alissa Errede, CMRPHA Robert Berger, Building Department The Board likewise offers thanks to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for guidance and feedback regarding this plan. In addition, thanks are extended to the staff of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission for process facilitation and preparation of this document. Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission Andrew Loew, Principal Planner Paul Dell’Aquila, Principal Planner Eric Smith, Principal Planner Mark Widner, Homeland Security Coordinator John Mauro, Homeland Security Coordinator Matthew Franz, GIS Analyst Derrick Mathieu, Assistant Planner Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Disaster Mitigation Plan ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Plan Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 PLANNING PROCESS .......................................................................................................................... 1 3.0 REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY PROFILE ....................................................................................... 4 4.0 NATURAL HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS ............................................................. 5 4.1 Overview of Hazards and Impacts ...................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Flooding .............................................................................................................................................. 9 4.3 Severe Snowstorms / Ice Storms / Nor’easters ................................................................................. 13 4.4 Hurricanes ......................................................................................................................................... 16 4.5 Severe Thunderstorms / Wind / Tornado .......................................................................................... 20 4.6 Wildfires / Brush Fires ...................................................................................................................... 26 4.7 Earthquakes ....................................................................................................................................... 30 4.8 Dam Failure....................................................................................................................................... 35 4.9 Drought ............................................................................................................................................. 38 4.10 Extreme Temperatures .................................................................................................................... 42 4.11 Other Hazards ................................................................................................................................. 46 4.12 Impacts of Climate Change on Hazards .......................................................................................... 47 5.0 CRITICAL FACILITIES & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS .......................................................... 50 5.1 Critical Facilities within Grafton ...................................................................................................... 50 Category 1 – Emergency Response Facilities ......................................................................................... 51 Category 2 – Non Emergency Response Facilities ................................................................................. 52 Category 3 – Dams .................................................................................................................................. 54 Category 4 – Facilities/Populations to Protect ........................................................................................ 54 6.0 EXISTING PROTECTION .................................................................................................................. 57 6.1 Existing Protection Matrix ................................................................................................................ 58 7.0 MITIGATION STRATEGY ................................................................................................................. 63 7.1 Impact ............................................................................................................................................... 63 7.2 Priority .............................................................................................................................................. 63 7.3 Estimated Cost .................................................................................................................................. 64 8. PLAN ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND MAINTENANCE .................................................. 72 8.1 Plan Adoption ................................................................................................................................... 72 8.2 Plan Implementation ......................................................................................................................... 72 8.3 Plan Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 73 8.4 Potential Federal and State Funding Sources .................................................................................... 75 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................ 85 A.Maps ........................................................................................................................................................ B.Public Survey Results .............................................................................................................................. C.Planning Team & Public Meetings.......................................................................................................... D.Certificate of Adoption ........................................................................................................................... E. Glossary .................................................................................................................................................. F. Repetitive Loss Properties ...................................................................................................................... Grafton Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft October 2016 Page 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Disaster Mitigation Plan Congress enacted the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) on October 10, 2000. Also known as the Stafford Act Amendments, the bill was signed into law by President Clinton on October 30, 2000, creating Public Law 106-390. The law established a national program for pre- disaster mitigation and streamlined the federal administration of disaster relief. Specific rules on the implementation of DMA 2000 were published in the Federal Register in February 2002 and required that all communities must have a Hazard Mitigation Plan in place in order to qualify for future federal disaster mitigation grants following a Presidential disaster declaration. The Hazard Mitigation Plan emphasizes measures that can be taken to reduce or prevent future disaster damages caused by natural hazards. In the context of natural hazard planning, Pre-Disaster Mitigation refers to any action that permanently reduces or eliminates long-term risks to human life and property. 1.2 Plan Purpose New England weather is renowned for its mercurial and dramatic nature. Late summer hurricanes, major winter blizzards, and summer droughts are all part of climactic atmosphere in Central Massachusetts. These occur frequently enough to be familiar scenes to residents of Grafton. The intersection of these natural hazards with the built environment can transition these routine events into classified natural disasters. Since many towns historically developed along waterways as a corridor for transportation and power, they are have evolved into riverine floodplains. The historical development pattern of Central Massachusetts makes the likelihood of a devastating impact of a natural disaster more likely. This plan identifies the natural hazards facing the Town of Grafton, assesses the vulnerabilities of the area’s critical facilities, infrastructure, residents, and businesses, and presents recommendations on how to mitigate the negative effects